Before you’re tempted to say, “Here, kitty, kitty,” know that this feline from Central Asia is not your average housecat.

The Pallas cat makes its home in Central China, mainly Mongolia. It is also found in Iran, China, Russia, Tibet and Kazakhstan. The cat was named for Peter Pallas, a German naturalist who contributed to the scientific exploration of Russia. He discovered these beautiful felines in the 18th century. The Pallas cat, also known as the “manul,” is about the size of an average housecat, at about 8 pounds, but that’s where the similarities end.

Since the Pallas cat lives in colder temperatures than your housecat, it has a long, thick, ochre-colored coat – longer than that of any other wild cat – and a thick, bushy tail. The coat is patterned with vertical bars – good for hiding while hunting. In the winter, the Pallas cat’s coat is more gray-toned and the stripe pattern is less visible. Its ears are set low and its pupils are round, giving it an owl-like appearance. While the pupils of a housecat contract into slits, the Pallas cats’ contract into small circles. Its body is stout and the legs are short.

If you think your kitty likes to hang out in high places, consider that the Pallas cats live in areas with elevations up to 13,000 feet. In the wild, they hang out on the rocky steppes, woodlands and semi-desert, where temperatures sometimes dip to 60 degrees below zero. It’s a good thing they’ve got that long coat.

Like most felines, Pallas cats are crepuscular, meaning that they don’t do much during the day. They sleep in dens, rock crevices and small caves, or in the abandoned burrows of other animals. They don’t like to be disturbed during the day, hence the not too happy looks they tend to shoot back at photographers.

Like all felines, Pallas cats are predators that hunt by sight. Their primary prey are pikas – small rabbitlike rodents – and birds. The cats’ short legs don’t help much with chasing down prey, but they are great at hiding and are excellent stalkers. Pallas cats are particularly skilled ambush predators, meaning they stealthily lie in wait before pouncing.

Today, the numbers of their favorite food, pikas, are being reduced, as the pikas compete with grazing animals and are exterminated. Pallas cats in the wild get sick from eating poisoned pikas.

In the 1990s, a major effort was launched to learn more and save these cats. Zoos have offered the first glimpse of these rare and elusive animals, but have been frustrated in trying to get them to breed in captivity. Even when they succeed, it’s difficult to keep the babies alive. Unlike your average tomcat, Pallas cats have a set reproductive season. Litters usually consist of five or six kittens, usually born in April and May.

The beautiful coats of the Pallas cats have made them the target of hunters. The species faces a serous threat to its survival in the wild, but the Wildlife Conservation Society has been working to help protect this rare and beautiful animal.

You don’t have to go to Mongolia to get a glimpse of these beauties. Look no further than Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Zoo to get a peek at Nicholas and Alexandra – if you can find them. Their coloring allows them to blend in perfectly within their exhibit.